Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.
For Review:
Into the Wind by William Loizeaux. 186 p. One Elm Books/ Red Chair Press, March 2, 2021. 9781947159426.
Publisher synopsis: It’s shaping up to be a rotten summer for Rusty, a young sailing fan who lives on an island off the New England coast. He’s just flunked fifth-grade math and has to go to summer school. His older sister is bossier than ever. Worst of all, his mom is far away on the mainland —undergoing treatment for her sudden, confusing, and exhausting “sadness”—while his dad struggles to keep the household together. Rusty’s only refuge is in caring for and teaching himself to sail a small, beloved sailboat.
While working on his boat at the village dock one evening, Rusty meets Hazel, a feisty local artist from an old sailing family. Hazel asks—no, demands—that Rusty take her sailing. He refuses. She argues. And an unlikely friendship begins.
Little story: I learned of this book rather serendipitously when I received an email out of the blue from my husband's old friend & groomsman. I actually missed it, so inundated with spam this account is, until my husband asked what Ted wanted. Huh?
Ted knew from Mark that I blog about children's books and his friend, Bill had a new one coming. Would I be interested in reading it? My general answer to that question is a reserved yes. A trip to the author's website revealed that I had read and enjoyed his earlier book, Wings, way before I began blogging, so the interest level spiked. Moral: keep an open mind with each query.
I thought this would be my lone review book for today's stacking post, but a package arrived on my doorstep last evening. Surprisingly, it was addressed to me, the hub being AZ king. It contained seven arcs from the spring list at Levine Querido! What a debut year this new publishing house has had! Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nareri won the Printz Award and Apple (Skin to the Core) by Eric Gansworth won a Printz Honor. Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera won a Pura Belpré Honor.
These books are all on my tbr list. Last Midwinter (when we were able to travel and pick up arc) I grabbed Mike Jung's The Boys in the Back Row at the booth. I did eye Everything Sad is Untrue, but didn't want to be greedy.
What Ollie Saw by Joukje Akveld. Illustrated by Sieb Posthuma. Translated by Bill Nagelkerke.56 p. Levine Querido, April 6, 2021. 9781646140398.
Publisher synopsis: Ollie doesn’t see things the same way everybody else does (and he certainly doesn’t see things the same way his older sister does). Instead of cars in traffic, Ollie sees a circus parade. Instead of cows grazing in a field, Ollie sees deadly bison with sharp horns and hooves. And at school, instead of letters on the board, Ollie sees birds with pointy beaks, and fish with flapping tails in the big blue sea.
Ollie knows he doesn't need glasses, because he likes the world better the way he sees it. But will his parents and bossy sister see things his way?
Popcorn Bob by Maranke Rinck. Illustrated by Martijn Van Der Linden. Translated by Nancy Forest-Flier. 152 p. Levine Querido, April 20, 2021. 9781646140404.
Publisher synopsis: Ellis loves popcorn. Who doesn’t?
But one day her school goes on a healthy eating campaign and her dads decide to follow suit, banning all snack foods from their house, INCLUDING POPCORN. Unfair. Ellis has got to get around that edict, so one night she pops a bag of popcorn out back in the garage...and she’s met with more than just her favorite salty snack. One kernel refuses to pop, and soon it’s sprouted a face, arms, and legs! He introduces himself as Popcorn Bob, and he is NOT in a good mood. (Ever, really.) He’s absolutely ravenous, and no amount of food keeps him from being hangry. Bob causes no end of chaos for Ellis, and she decides to rid herself of him once and for all, except...she actually starts to like him.
A chapter book for all ages, Popcorn Bob is a laugh-out-loud story about the power of friendship, and a perfect bowl of popcorn.
Middletown by Sarah Moon. 288 p. Levine Querido, April 6, 2021. 9781646140428.
Publisher synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Eli likes baggy clothes, baseball caps, and one girl in particular. Her seventeen-year-old sister Anna is more traditionally feminine; she loves boys and staying out late. They are sisters, and they are also the only family each can count on. Their dad has long been out of the picture, and their mom lives at the mercy of her next drink. When their mom lands herself in enforced rehab, Anna and Eli are left to fend for themselves. With no legal guardian to keep them out of foster care, they take matters into their own hands: Anna masquerades as Aunt Lisa, and together she and Eli hoard whatever money they can find. But their plans begin to unravel as quickly as they were made, and they are always way too close to getting caught.
Eli and Anna have each gotten used to telling lies as a means of survival, but as they navigate a world without their mother, they must learn how to accept help, and let other people in.
\Dawn Raid by Vaeluaga Smith. 222 p. Levine Querido, March 2, 2021. 9781646140411.
Publisher synopsis: "Imagine this: You're having an amazing family holiday, one where everyone is there and all 18 of you are squeezed into one house. All of sudden it's 4 o'clock in the morning and there's banging and yelling and screaming. The police are in the house pulling people out of bed ..."
Sofia is like most 12-year-old girls in New Zealand. How is she going to earn enough money for those boots? WHY does she have to give that speech at school? Who is she going to be friends with this year?
It comes as a surprise to Sofia and her family when her big brother, Lenny, starts talking about protests, “overstayers”, and injustices against Pacific Islanders by the government. Inspired by the Black Panthers in America, a group has formed called the Polynesian Panthers, who encourage immigrant and Indigenous families across New Zealand to stand up for their rights. Soon the whole family becomes involved in the movement.
Told through Sofia’s diary entries, with illustrations throughout, Dawn Raid is the story of one ordinary girl living in extraordinary times, learning how to stand up and fight.
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty. 488 p. Levine Querido, March 16, 2021.9781646140763.
Publisher synopsis: Esther is a middle child, in her own mind a pale reflection of siblings who are bright, shining stars. Her mother doesn't show the slightest bit of interest, no matter what Esther does. Still, she's content to go back to school, do her best, hang out with her friends, and let others take care of things.
But her best friends aren't AT school when she gets there. Why didn't they tell her they wouldn't be coming back? Why were they silent all summer? But stuff like that happens. And it's bad luck that her new teacher makes Esther the butt of all kinds of jokes. Mrs. Pollock is rumored to be an ogre — and maybe she IS one. Could be.
Then things go from unfortunate to outright dangerous. The mountains surrounding the school — usually sparkling with glaciers and lakes, alive with Faeries, and sheltering a quaint town with really great bakeries — are now crowded with Shadow Mages, casting a noticeable pall, and clearly — to Esther — signifying something very dark and threatening. As the people she might have depended on to help are either strangely absent or in hiding, it's left to ordinary, middle-child Esther ("just Esther") to act. But she'll have to burst out of the box of mediocrity she's been but in, and do something absolutely extraordinary.
The Immortal Boy (El Inmortal) by Francisco Montana Ibáñez. Translated by David Bowles. 400 p. Levine Querido, March 9, 2021. 9781646140442
Publisher synopsis: Two intertwining stories of Bogotá.
One, a family of five children, left to live on their own.
The other, a girl in an orphanage who will do anything to befriend the mysterious Immortal Boy.
How they weave together will never leave you.
Presented in English and Spanish.
Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) by Anton Treuer. 272 p. Levine Querido, April 6, 2021. 9781646140459.
Publisher synopsis: From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike.
Ranging from “Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?” to “Why is it called a ‘traditional Indian fry bread taco’?“ to “What’s it like for natives who don’t look native?” to “Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?”, and beyond, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) does exactly what its title says for young readers, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging.
Updated and expanded to include:
* Dozens of New Questions and New Sections—including a social activism section that explores the Dakota Access Pipeline, racism, identity, politics, and more!
* Over 50 new Photos
* Adapted text for broad appeal
Purchased: Nothing!
Thanks for stopping by. Leave a link in the comments to your stack. Happy reading!
That book about Indians looks really interesting. I’ve seen a few people Tweeting about it recently. I hope you enjoy all these!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Oooh! These sound like cute reads! Great haul!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my Stacking the Shelves!
Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog